Remake of Classic Stephen King Sci-Fi Movie Now Streaming on Netflix

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The 2022 remake of the Stephen King sci-fi/horror story, , is now available on Netflix. The film is based on King’s 1980 novel of the same name.

It’s debatable whether fans of Stephen King should watch the 2022 remake of Firestarter, produced by the low-budget horror studio Blumhouse. The film received very poor reviews when it was released, currently holding a 10% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Interestingly, the original Firestarter movie wasn’t much better with critics, earning a ‘rotten’ score of 40% on the same website.

Despite costing $12 million to make, Firestarter only earned $15 million in theaters. Although it was released on Peacock at the same time, which likely hurt ticket sales, the movie also received a lot of negative reviews that probably kept audiences away.

Most people agree that the 2022 film Firestarter didn’t improve upon the original movie adaptation, leaving Stephen King’s story without the strong cinematic treatment it deserves. However, King’s fans are loyal and many will probably want to see both Firestarter films at least once. Comparing the two movies, which were made nearly 40 years apart, could be an interesting look at how King’s story has been interpreted differently. If you’re interested in watching both back-to-back, you’ll need two streaming subscriptions and should act quickly, as the 1984 Firestarter is leaving HBO Max at the end of November.

What Is Stephen King’s Firestarter About?

Based on Stephen King’s novel, Firestarter tells the story of Charlie McGee, a young girl with the power to start fires using only her mind. This ability makes her a target for the government, leading to a dangerous conflict between her family and a secret agency that wants to weaponize her powers. As described in the film’s official summary, Charlie’s parents have been hiding her for over a decade from a federal organization that seeks to turn her unique gift into a powerful weapon.

Keith Thomas directed the 2022 film Firestarter, based on a screenplay by Scott Teems. Ryan Kiera Armstrong plays the lead role of Charlie, with Zac Efron as her father, Andy McGee, and Sydney Lemmon as her mother, Vicky Tomlinson-McGee. The film also stars Kurtwood Smith, John Beasley, Michael Greyeyes, and Gloria Reuben.

The first Firestarter movie was directed by Mark L. Lester and featured a young Drew Barrymore in the lead role, alongside Keith David and Heather Locklear as her parents. Martin Sheen and George C. Scott also appeared in the film. A sequel, Firestarter: Rekindled, aired as a two-part miniseries on the Sci-Fi Channel in 2002. While this sequel isn’t based on any writing by Stephen King and doesn’t include the original cast, it picks up the story 20 years later, with Marguerite Moreau playing the grown-up version of Charlie McGee.

You can now watch the 2022 version of Firestarter on Netflix. The 1984 film is available on HBO Max, but only until November 30th.

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2025-11-12 22:36